Tunisia’s Remarkable Achievement

After the final articles of Tunisia’s new constitution were approved on Sunday, legislators rose to their feet, flashing victory signs and applauding before singing the national anthem. They have good reason to celebrate. After a long and often fraught process, Tunisia has managed to produce the most liberal constitution in the Arab world, and it has done so through consensus.

The Arab Spring began in Tunisia three years ago when a desperate fruit vendor set himself on fire, unleashing a wave of protests by angry citizens against tyrannical regimes across the Middle East. Egypt, Yemen and Libya remain mired in the turmoil that followed. Tunisia also traversed hard times, including deep political divisions, the assassination of two opposition political leaders and terrorist threats. But legislators across the political spectrum never gave up on their country’s future, taking more than two years to hammer out every article of the new constitution until nearly everyone could back it. In the end, the constitution was approved by an overwhelming 200 of Tunisia’s 216-member National Constituent Assembly.

While Tunisia’s new constitution names Islam as the country’s religion, it guarantees freedom of worship and a secular rule of law. The constitution also bans torture, and guarantees women parity in political bodies. Power has been handed over to a caretaker government led by Mehdi Jomaa, a former minister of industry and an engineer by training. Elections are expected to be held later this year.

Tunisia still faces challenges. Its economy is in tatters and unemployment seems stuck at 17 percent. Riots over economic conditions broke out earlier this month. Not all the Islamists are happy with the concessions they had to make.

Western governments, human rights and civil society groups gave Tunisia valuable support through the process of forging its new constitution. This is not the time for international lending institutions, eager for Tunisia to cut public spending and reduce its deficit, to lean too hard. The last thing Tunisia’s government needs is a new reason for long-suffering citizens to hit the streets again in protest.

Tunisia’s remarkable achievement proves that consensus among bitterly divided political rivals is possible, and that respect for democratic rights and freedoms is compatible with deeply held religious beliefs and cultural values. That is a valuable lesson for the rest of the Arab world, and beyond.